{"id":8904,"date":"2018-04-07T18:33:47","date_gmt":"2018-04-08T01:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=8904"},"modified":"2018-04-06T12:18:36","modified_gmt":"2018-04-06T19:18:36","slug":"cocktail-corner-visiting-spear-vineyards-winery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=8904","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Corner: Visiting Spear Vineyards & Winery"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Spear

Spear Winery & Vineyard view from the vineyard, photo by Blakeney Sanford.<\/p><\/div>\n

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by\u00a0Leslie Dinaberg\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Created within the footprint and roofline of the original Domingos Dairy Barn built in the 1920’s, stepping into Spear Vineyards & Winery<\/a>‘s brand new winery and hospitality center feels like you’re stepping back into the history of the property and the soil itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spear

Spear Winery Owner & Vigneron Ofer Shepher at harvest time, photo by Bottle Branding.<\/p><\/div>\n

Last week’s vineyard tour and tasting and was quite a treat. Guided by\u00a0Vigneron Ofer Shepher<\/a>, who\u00a0<\/span>first planted his Spear Vineyards vines in\u00a0the Sta. Rita Hills<\/a> appellation 2014, with 33 organically farmed acres along the Hwy. 246 corridor, the property\u2014which overlooks Buellton and Lompoc, and is about 1,000 acres in total, mostly inhabited by Black Angus Cattle and cows\u2014is nothing short of stunning. <\/span><\/p>\n

Weekend camping trips to the Santa Ynez Valley first sparked Shepher’s keen interest in wine and winemaking and propelled his 2005 move and eventual lease of the historic Gnesa Ranch<\/a>\u00a0next door to the Spear property.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spear

Spear Winery’s Vineyard view, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.<\/p><\/div>\n

He\u00a0<\/span>minored in agricultural mechanics in college, and\u00a0despite a long career in the medical device industry, he’s always remained interested in agriculture.\u00a0<\/span>Shepher says that he spent childhood summers in Israel, working on the kibbutz his mother grew up on and learning about farming.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gnesa Ranch sold grapes exclusively to Brewer-Clifton Wines<\/a>, until 2014. When it came time t<\/span>o develop Spear, Shepher hired the renowned Greg Brewer<\/a>\u00a0as consulting winemaker and they\u00a0<\/span>worked closely together to plant the vineyards and design the wine production facility, a gravity-based system devised to minimize damage to the fruit.<\/p>\n

\"Spear

Spear Winery Winemaker Kat Gaffney, courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

Mentored by Brewer, who hired her as Associate Winemaker, Kathleen “Kat” Gaffney was promoted to Winemaker in January after spending the last several years working at notable California wineries between harvests in Oregon and New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Dedicated to sustainability, the winery\u2019s in-house farmed, viticulture practices don’t use inorganic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Both Gaffney and Shepher say the goal at Spear is to let the grapes and vineyard shine, making wine that is a true reflection of the place those grapes come from.<\/p>\n

\"Spear

Spear Winery & Vineyard at sunrise, photo by Blakeney Sanford.<\/p><\/div>\n

Spear\u2014which is the Americanized version of “Shepher”\u2014released its debut vintage in the fall and currently produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The 2016 Spear Estate Chardonnay is a perfect ode to spring. With 15 acres planted to Pinot Noir, the winery’s first vintage, the 2016 Spear Estate Pinot Noir is a lovely expression of the famed Sta. Rita Hills appellation. We also enjoyed the classic cool climate 2016 Spear Estate Syrah.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gr\u00fcner Veltliner<\/a> (an ode to Shepher’s German ancestry) and\u00a0Grenache Noir are also planted, so look for those wines sometime in the future as well.<\/p>\n

\"Inside

Inside Spear Winery, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.<\/p><\/div>\n

Vineyard tours and tastings at Spear are offered by appointment only, to truly offer a unique soil to glass experience.\u00a0 “We want to offer a real vineyard tasting experience,” says Shepher.\u00a0Vineyard tastings and winery visits are available daily, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment only.\u00a0 To make a reservation, call\u00a0805\/737-1829, email\u00a0visit@spearwinery.com<\/a>\u00a0or book online with this\u00a0link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, Spear is now offering a limited number of wine club memberships. For more information, click here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wine

Wine barrel inside Spear Winery, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Spear

Spear Winery, back view, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Spear

Spear Winery & Vineyard view from the driveway, photo by Blakeney Sanford.<\/p><\/div>\n

Cheers! Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0for more cocktail corner columns.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Leslie<\/p>\n

When she\u2019s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes<\/i>\u00a0mag<\/i>azine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie believes variety is the spice of life. Send your suggestions to Leslie@sbseasons.com.<\/i><\/p>\n

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons<\/em><\/a> on April 6, 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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